Clothesline bracket



July 2, 1949. .v w. A. BUSH CLOTHESLINE BRACKET Filed Feb. 2, 1940 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

v Patented July 2,1940

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a bracket designed primarily for holding a clothesline, one of the objects being to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character which can be installed readily and which provides means. whereby a looped portion of a line can be tightly gripped so that portions of the line may diverge from the bracket and be properly held without the necessity of knotting the line. I l

A further object is to provide a bracket from which the line can be detached readily and which will engage and hold the line without injuring it.

I With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bracket in use. l I

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the bracket. Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3, Figure 2, one

of the positions of the gripping plate being indi Figure 2.

cated by broken lines.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-,-4, Figure 3.

l Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on line 6-5,

Referring to the figures by characters of refer,

ence, I designates a base plate suitably proportioned and formed, at an intermediate point, with an integral flange 2 preferably extending throughout the width of the plate I. This flange is formed with an opening 3 and extending into the opening from thatwall thereof remote from plate I is a tongue 4 cooperating with the side walls of the opening to form rounded'recesses 5 while the free end of the tongue is preferably pointed as at 6.

Formedwith the plate I and flange 2 are enlargements I located at the ends of the transverse slot 8 which is located in plate I close to the bottom surface of flange 2. In this slot is tiltably mounted a gripping plate 9 having laterally extending lugs ID at one end which are seated within recesses in the enlargements 8, these recesses being indicated at H and openingbackwardly through the plate and also laterally towards the slot 8. l 3

That end of plate 9 remote from the slot 8 is toothed or serrated as indicated at l2 and the plate, which is of substantially the same width as the opening 3, has its free end portion extended transversely under the tongue 4 and also across the recesses 5 as shown particularly in Figure 4.

The lugs H] are angular in cross sectionas shown in Figure 6 and the recesses in which they are mounted are also angular in cross section. However these recesses are somewhat larger than the lugs so that a limited rocking movement ofplate 9 and the lugs relative to flange 2 is permitted, as will be apparent by referring to Figure 6. The walls of recesses H and the bases of lugs. l0 cooperate to limit the downward movement of plate 1 so that whenit is not in use it will be supported in an inclined position diverging towards its free ends away fromilange 2. a

This plate I is adapted to be attached to apost or other suitable support S by means of screws l3 or the like and when it is desired to attach a clothesline to the bracket, said line is looped at a point between its ends and the loop is inserted downwardly through opening 3 and then pulled forwardly to straddle tongue 4 with opposed portions of the loop within the respective recessed side. Plate 9 is then pressed upwardly toward the tongue 4 and the toothed or serrated edge thereof will frictionally engage the loop so that when the lineis pulled the plate will tightly grip the loop and bind it against the walls of recesses 5 with the results that it becomes impossible to disconnect the line and it also becomes impossible for the line to slip so that one portion thereof will become slack while the other is taut. In the drawing the line has been indicated at L while the inserted loop has been indicated at I.

In Figure 3 the normal position of the clamping plate 9 has beenindicated by brokenlines while the loop gripping position of the plate has been indicated byfull lines. t l

The tongue 4 by projectingin the loop, provides means for preventing accidental detachment of the lineswhile it is beingadjusted orin the event that the clamping plate should fail to work from any cause. I

What is claimed is: i t

A bracket of the class described including a base plate, an apertured flange extending therefrom proportioned to receive a looped portion of a line, a tongue integral with the flange and extendinginto the opening, said tongue cooperating with opposedwalls of the opening to form spaced loop receiving recesses, a clamping plate positio-ned under the flange, angular lugs projecting laterally-from one end thereof, there being angular recesses in the base plate and a slot in said base plate connecting the recesses, said lugs being I positioned for limited tilting movement within the respective recesses, said plate being extended through the'slots andmounted to swing therein, 7

said. .plate being extended under the tongue and.

transversely of the recesses in the flange and having one edge portion thereof positioned for cooperation with walls of the recesses in the flange to grip the loop of a line when inserted through theapertured flange and betweensaid'fiange and 5 the gripping plate.

WILLIAM A. BUSH. 

